


The Rainbow in the Rain

by Child_Of_Peace



Series: Lemongrass and Sleep [1]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: 2x05, Also I have zero practical dating experience and I'm pretty sure that will show, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, And I don't know that I'm any good at writing allistic people so..., Autistic Vanya, Carl who?, F/F, F/M, Misunderstandings, Other, Period-Typical Homophobia, Period-Typical Racism, Spoilers for TUA Season 2, because I say so
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-11
Updated: 2020-08-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 01:21:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,023
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25834909
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Child_Of_Peace/pseuds/Child_Of_Peace
Summary: Vanya doesn't go alone to tell Sissy that she loves her, Allison comes with her to support her little sister....In which Allison and Vanya are as tactile as my sister and I are on a good day.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Raymond Chestnut/Allison Hargreeves (Background) - Relationship, Vanya Hargreeves & Harlan, Vanya Hargreeves & Sissy, Vanya Hargreeves/Sissy
Series: Lemongrass and Sleep [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1874509
Comments: 46
Kudos: 322





	The Rainbow in the Rain

**Author's Note:**

> I got tired of waiting for others to post their stories, and so I wrote my own (even though I have loads of WiP and I am yet to reply to an email from my uni because I keep putting it off...)! Okay, so the speech in the first half is all taken from the episode, it follows canon until Allison enters.
> 
> \---
> 
> This is my first published fic on Ao3. No Beta, so all mistakes are my own (and it's 4am, so I'm sure there are a lot of mistakes!)
> 
> \---
> 
> Also, please bear with me, I don't like the taste of alcohol and have no experience with being drunk, so I probably haven't portrayed this very well. And I don't know why, but I think Vanya would be the kind of drunk who, as well as being adorable (see: that lil jump she does to join her siblings), would also use big words that she wouldn't necessarily use while sober for fear of sounding pretentious.
> 
> \---
> 
> How did Vanya find a relationship in 1963 with no memories when I can't even find a relationship in 2020...?

\---

Vanya was drunk. She probably wouldn’t be doing this if she weren’t. It was one thing to kiss Sissy in the heat of the moment, but another thing entirely to confront her with confessions of love with Carl one room over.

But no. She had committed to this. She’d told her brother and sister (and wow was that weird to think about) that she’d do this, and in return, they would face up to their own problems. So she could do this.

And hey, she wasn’t alone. Allison was waiting for her outside on the porch. She hadn’t expected it, but she supposes this must be what it’s like, having a sister. Someone to support you and be there for you when you have to do something difficult. Like tell your friend whom you kissed (and slept with) that you love her.

_Shit_ , she was going to tell Sissy she loved her. Vanya’s stomach dropped. This was going to end terribly.

Vanya walked past the fireplace, the heat of the flames doing nothing to soothe her growing anxiety. And there was Sissy, standing in the kitchen.

‘Sissy.’ Vanya breathed, feeling somewhat calmer at the sight of her love. She couldn’t help but take in how beautiful Sissy looked the low lights that bathed the house, the moonlight seeping in through the window.

Sissy looked up, shocked to see her there. ‘Vanya,’ she whispered softly. ‘Don’t sneak up on me like that!’ Then Sissy was moving towards Vanya, her steps somewhat hurried, concern written across her face. ‘Where have you been?’

Vanya couldn’t help it, her face lit up as she thought about her family (her _family_ ). She didn’t know how to explain everything to Sissy, the rush of warmth at knowing there were people out there who were hers. Or how to explain about Luther who for all his anger and apologies had defended her, or Five who had found her in the field because he’d been _looking_ for her. Or Diego who, in spite of his hesitation, immediately forgave her when she’d apologised. And Klaus, chaotic Klaus, who had kissed her on the head, just because he could. But mostly, Allison, her sister, who had _missed_ her. Who had looked up at her as though the world felt a little bit brighter for seeing her again. How could she explain how safe, how secure, she had felt, being hugged by her siblings. Knowing that these people still loved her, no matter what she’d done in the past. (And the apocalypse, but Vanya was still having difficulty wrapping her head around that one.)

So she opened her mouth, tried to express all that had happened in the last day, but all that came out was, ‘Uh, family reunion.’ But that was okay, she was sure the smile she couldn’t hold in explained enough.

‘Are you… drunk?’ Sissy asked, and to Vanya it almost sounded like an accusation. So maybe the smile hadn’t shown what she wanted it to. And maybe she shouldn’t have drunk so much before this conversation. Would Sissy even take her seriously now? What if Sissy thought she was like Carl? Goodness knows she never wanted to be lumped in with him.

Vanya made an attempt to shift the conversation, hoping this would not be an issue. She shook her head, blinking. ‘Does it matter?’

Sissy scoffed, and Vanya swore she saw disappointment flash across Sissy’s face before she’d looked away from Vanya. Vanya felt her panic rise again she took a few steps forward, gently placing her hand on Sissy’s arm, hoping to reassure her or soothe her or do _anything_ to clear the disappointment from her eyes.

And when Sissy turned back to her, she knew she’d succeeded. Taking Sissy’s growing smile as encouragement, Vanya kept going. ‘What matters is I have feelings… Okay?’ Sissy’s breathy laugh hit Vanya right in the chest, her heart aching at the alluring sound. She thought she would die happy if that were the last thing she ever heard. Vanya slid her hands lightly down Sissy’s arms, taking her hands in her own as she spoke again. ‘And I… I feel things for you.’ She said, her voice soft. (And yes, she was fully aware that her words were not the most coherent, but this was difficult for her, expressing her feelings, so she thought she deserved some slack.)

Sissy’s expression changed. The laugh that lit up her face mere seconds before, and in her drunken haze, all Vanya could think was how desperately she wished to bring it back. ‘Vanya, now’s not a good time.’ Sissy warned.

But Vanya was tired of playing it safe, tired of hiding how she felt, of putting her emotions on the back burner. ‘No.’ She said, her face twisting in anguish. ‘Now’s the only time.’ She thought about the apocalypse Five had spoken of, the one Allison and Klaus had confirmed would happen. _6 days_ , she thought. ‘’Cause how much time do we have left? We could have years, we could have days, but we only have one life.’ Vanya’s voice was rife with despair clawing its way up her throat, unable to even fathom the thought of losing Sissy. And Harlan. Harlan who was only _eight_. Who had so much of his life left to live. She remembered the fear she had felt when she’d thought him dead only one day prior. _No_ , she thought, Harlan would live a long life, a full life, if Vanya had anything to say about it. Staring deep into Sissy’s clear, blue eyes and squeezing her hands, Vanya continued. ‘And we gotta go with our hearts. And my heart wants to go with you.’ Her voice trailed off into a whisper.

Before Sissy could respond, a loud voice called out from behind Vanya, ’Sissy!’

\---

Vanya’s first thought was of Harlan, sleeping nearby, sure to awaken at the loud noise. Her second thought was of the panicked realisation that Carl was here whilst she was trying to tell Sissy that she loved her. What if he’d heard?

Her own fear was reflected in Sissy’s eyes, which were no longer fixed on hers. Vanya’s fingers itched for something she couldn’t quite remember, perhaps a refuge from her anxieties once upon a time.

Whatever Vanya had expected to see when she turned around, it certainly hadn’t been Carl in only his boxers. She resisted the urge to throw up, wanting to turn away from him as quickly as she could.

Again she thought of Harlan, tucked away in his room She may not remember her own father, but she doubts she would have had no problems with her dad walking into a room in just his underwear. She thought of all the times that Harlan had woken her up when he slipped out of his room in the middle of the night. Of how she’d sit with him tucked into her side, neither really acknowledging the other besides the soaking up the comfort of not being alone. She’d never told Sissy of Harlan’s nightmares, she hadn’t wanted to betray the boy who had so few people to trust (really only her and Sissy), and she’d certainly never even thought to tell Carl. But surely they knew?

‘What happened to that beer, girl?’

It took her a second to register what Carl had said, but when it did, she felt a spike of anger burn through her. She forced it down. She couldn’t allow what had happened this morning to happen again. She _really_ didn’t want to lash out with her powers. So she took a steadying breath instead. For Sissy. For Harlan. And hell, even for her siblings.

‘Oh, shit. You caught me naked as a jaybird.’ Carl said with a chuckle. Once more, he gave no thought to lowering his voice in the still night. Vanya watched as Sissy closed her eyes and tilted her head in what Vanya assumed was frustration. ‘I guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.’

Vanya turned away from the scene in front of her, not able to deal with Carl in the moment. Her gaze fell on the dining table. _Oh_.

She froze. Two wine glasses, empty, a candle sat between the two. Vanya may have had difficulty reading social situations, but she knew what that meant. Taking another deep breath, she tried not to let her brain connect the dots, forced her brain to rationalise Carl’s undress with _anything_ but what she knew to be the truth. She looked back at Sissy. The guilt was stark on Sissy’s face, and Vanya knew she couldn’t deny what had happened.

She heard a door open and hoped against all hopes it wasn’t Harlan. She didn’t move her eyes from Sissy’s to check, though she saw Sissy startle. Carl, who hadn’t realised he’d been talking to a passive audience stopped.

The three stood frozen staring at one another until a soft voice cut through the silence. ‘Vanya?’ It was Allison. Vanya let out a breath she didn’t know she’d been holding. ‘Hey, you were gone for a while, I was worried about you.’ Allison slipped her hand into Vanya’s, not even giving a passing glance to the other two occupants of the room. Vanya felt all the tension leave her body. She wasn’t alone. Then she remembered why Allison was here.

They were going to sort out Vanya’s confession first, she would introduce Sissy to her sister and then the two would talk to Allison’s husband _together_.

_Moral Support_ , Allison had called it.

‘Shit,’ Vanya started, her eyes finally leaving Sissy’s to meet her sister’s. ‘I’m so sorry, I didn’t think-‘

Allison squeezed Vanya’s hand to prevent the ramble she was sure was coming. ‘Hey, no!’ Allison’s eyes were bright, loving. ‘It’s okay, I just wanted to make sure you were alright.’ Vanya scanned her sister’s face for any signs that she was lying (not that she was notoriously good at reading people’s expressions) and decided Allison was being frank with her. She leaned into Allison’s side, hoping to soak up some of Allison’s confidence.

\---

Allison wrapped her arm tightly around her only sister, peering over the top of Vanya’s head to finally take note of the Coopers. She hadn’t known what she would be walking into when she had promised Vanya she would come with her, she had just known that she hadn’t wanted her sister to face anything alone ever again. (And yes, there was a part of her that wanted to check that this “Sissy” was good enough for her little sister.)

When she’d heard a man’s voice from where she had been sat on the front porch, she had been sure that something had gone wrong. She’d hesitated for all of five seconds before pushing open the door.

To say she was shocked to see the man was in his underwear was putting it mildly, though that wasn’t her main focus. No, she was far more interested in the woman Klaus had dubbed Vanya’s _Farm Frau_.

Sissy was not what Allison had expected, and not at all fitting to the image her brain had conjured up. As far as Allison was aware, Vanya’s only relationship was that week-long mess with Leonard ( _Harold_ she reminded herself). For some reason, Allison had pictured Sissy as _Harold_ but with long hair. She found herself relieved to have been disproven. Sissy was pretty, and nothing like Harold had been. Allison remembered the strange energy she had felt, the feeling of _wrongness_ when she had met Harold, and found herself glad for the absence of that feeling here, with Vanya’s new love.

She squeezed her sister’s shoulder in approval, too focused on her little sister to notice the way Sissy stared at the arm enveloping Vanya’s small frame.

\---

Vanya looked at Sissy, something was wrong. Her brow crinkled in consternation; she had no idea why Sissy would be upset. She wasn’t given a chance to figure it out, as Carl had awoken from his stupor.

‘Who are you? What are you doing in my house?’ Without waiting for a response he continued, his face a picture of disgust, ‘We don’t want your kind here.’

Allison flinched and Vanya felt a surge of protectiveness coiling in her chest. She stepped in front of her sister, anger coursing through her veins. She hadn’t thought through what she would do, she just knew that she would not let him talk about Allison that way, as though Allison were somehow inferior to him. Her fists clenched, but Allison took Vanya’s hand again, unfurling her fingers one by one and intertwining them with hers.

\---

Sissy was horrified. For the first time, she turned to look at her husband. ‘Carl!’ She exclaimed. She had known he wasn’t the most open of people, had known he would never accept her “deviant” feelings for Vanya, that if he ever found out that she didn’t care for men the way she was supposed to, he’d take Harlan away from her. No judge nor jury would back her, even though she’d raised Harlan practically on her own. And she’d also known he’d had a problem with the colour of some people’s skin, but she’d never thought he would be so _rude_. And how dare he say “we” as though she shared his beliefs, as though she hadn’t spent the last eight years raising a child who society would never accept for his differences. As though her first love hadn’t been Mary, the dark-skinned girl she’d played with, aged nine, by the very lake not twenty minutes from the farmhouse, before her sister had found them and told mama. (Mama was just as small-minded as everyone else, Sissy had found out.)

She glanced back at the woman with Vanya and felt her heart clench painfully in her chest. In her disapproval of her husband’s behaviour, Sissy had forgotten that this woman was touching _her_ Vanya. She forced herself to repress the swirling jealousy clouding her mind. It was clear this woman loved Vanya, and the feeling was mutual. She didn’t want to dwell on it, but she couldn’t help but wonder if this woman was Vanya’s ex, come to take her away from her. But it wasn’t really the best time to worry about this.

Carl glared at Sissy, ‘What? You want someone like her _contaminatin_ ’ -‘

Vanya cut him off, ‘Finish that sentence, I dare you.’

A sneer pulled at Carl’s lips and Sissy knew this wouldn’t end well. ‘What, is she your _girlfriend_ or something?’

Sissy looked away. She couldn’t bear to see Vanya’s face when she confirmed this. She knew she was being hypocritical, but she couldn’t _stand_ the idea that Vanya could have feelings for someone other than her. Besides, it wasn’t like she’d ever loved Carl, but Vanya…

’She’s my sister!’ Vanya cried out, and Sissy felt a burst of relief. _Family Reunion,_ she remembered, _of course_!

Carl’s face went a bright shade of red, his teeth seemed to grate. Sissy would have found it amusing if he weren’t looking at Vanya with angry eyes. Sissy could feel the tension in the room, with all that had happened this evening, she wished that she could go back to the serenity of the morning, curled up in Vanya’s arms, finally free. But she couldn’t. The morning was just a distant memory now.

’Sister, huh? Bullshit.’ Carl snarled.

‘It’s true.’ The woman said from behind Vanya’s shoulder.

‘I wasn’t talkin’ to you, -‘

‘Don’t!’ Sissy snapped, cutting him off before he could call Vanya’s sister a derogatory name.

Carl turned on Sissy, ‘You sidin’ with them, now?’ His voice was now a low growl.

She glanced at Vanya and stopped dead in her tracks, whatever she’d been about to say forgotten as she met her son’s gaze.

\---

Vanya had been on the verge of blasting Carl with her newfound powers, because _how dare he_ , but Sissy’s changed demeanour gave her a start. Sissy was no longer looking at Vanya or even Allison.

_No_.

The last thing Vanya had wanted was for Harlan to get mixed up in this, all she’d wanted was to tell the woman she loved how she felt. How had this become such a shitshow?

She turned around, hoping she was wrong, hoping Harlan was still asleep.

But no, there he was, his eyes terrified. Seeing Harlan completely sobered Vanya up, she’d been feeling less and less tipsy as the conversation had developed but now it was as though she hadn’t had a drop of her siblings’ alcohol.

Neither Sissy nor Carl made any move to soothe their son, Sissy not knowing what to say and Carl simply not caring, so Vanya stepped towards the boy she’d grown to love like her own.

‘Hey, Harlan, you okay?’ Vanya asked, hoping to gauge his emotions from his expression.

Harlan just stared at her, his eyes still wide, Mr Pickles clutched tight in his hand. She went to step up to Harlan, forgetting her fingers were still interlocked with her sister’s. Disentangling them, she moved to sit cross-legged in front of Harlan.

‘Harlan, is it okay if I hold your hand?’ Vanya asked, holding out her hand for him to take. When he just stared at it, she dropped it into her lap. ‘No? Okay.’

Vanya felt three pairs of eyes burning the back of her neck. Sissy had seen her with Harlan, knew how she communicated with him, but for Allison and Carl, this was something they’d never seen before.

The room was bathed in silence, so quiet you could hear a pin drop, until Harlan mirrored Vanya, sitting cross-legged in front of her, his eyes no longer meeting hers.

Unfortunately, this angered Carl further. ‘You stay the hell away from my boy.’ She heard his footsteps storming towards her, Sissy crying out for him to _stop_. But he didn’t.

Just as he reached Vanya, an orange glow appeared on Harlan’s chest and a small blast knocked Carl off his feet.

_Holy shit_. Had she…? No. She can’t have. But his energy. It was just like hers.

‘What the hell?’ Sissy. Shit, Sissy was going to kill her. She hadn’t meant to. Really, she hadn’t. She’d just wanted Harlan to be alive, to be safe.

Her powers were protecting him.

Harlan had initially looked startled at the burst of light, but now he was just staring curiously at Vanya. She wished she knew what to tell him, but it wasn’t as though she knew how to control them properly either.

Carl groaned from the floor behind her, but Vanya refused to turn around. Harlan was more important. She remembered the first time she’d used her powers in the cornfields, she had been terrified. And she was a grown adult, so she couldn’t even begin to understand how terrifying this must be for an eight-year-old. Except Harlan didn’t look scared. Instead he held out his hand to her, and she took it.

‘What the fuck did you do to my son?’ Carl spoke loudly. It sounded to Vanya as though he had not yet got back on his feet.

‘It was an accident. I’m sorry, Harlan.’ Vanya said as a pseudo response, though she did not care to explain herself to Carl. She didn’t have to anyway.

‘How is this even possible?’ Allison asked. Vanya had almost forgotten her sister was there.

‘I don’t know, I-‘

‘The lake. When Harlan almost died. You saved his life, didn’t you?’ Sissy didn’t sound angry, but maybe that was wishful thinking on Vanya’s part.

‘I’m sorry.’ She repeated. She heard Carl get up, and then she heard him dialling the phone. Shit. Would whoever Carl was calling take Harlan away? Or would they be there for her? And what would happen to Sissy?

Finally moving away from Harlan, Vanya stood up and faced Sissy and Allison. ‘We have to go. Now.’ She demanded, knowing there was nothing else they could do.

Allison nodded, but Sissy looked hesitant. Even as Harlan grinned and moved to pack his favourite records and find a change of clothes, Sissy looked apprehensive. ‘Where would we go?’ Sissy asked, trying not to get her hopes up.

Vanya paused, she hadn’t thought that far ahead.

‘You can stay with me,’ Allison said.

‘Are you sure?’ Sissy asked, but Vanya could already feel the shift in the room. They could be free, together. As a family.

‘Absolutely.’ Allison responded.

\---

Everything had been settled.

Allison had rumoured Carl into apathy at their departure (Vanya had insisted that was the most practical since too many people knew about Sissy and Harlan for them to be conceivably forgotten) while Sissy had watched on in nervous fascination. Harlan had packed all of his things, though he’d been disappointed about leaving the peace and quiet of farm life. Vanya had promised him that, as soon as they were able, they would find their own farm, the three of them. Harlan had settled down after that, as had Sissy, Vanya had noted out of the corner of her eye.

\---

The Chestnut house was quiet. Allison had yet to come home, and Ray was feeling her absence in every corner of the house. Every echo, every car that passed, he hoped was hers. He just wanted to talk to her. To sort everything out. To know the truth.

So when he heard the key in the front door, he raced downstairs to greet his wife.

He was surprised to see that she wasn’t alone, but instead, tucked behind her were two white women and a boy. Though given the number of people who had shown up claiming to be his wife’s brothers in the past couple of day, he supposed he should have expected this.

‘Ray,’ Allison stepped forward to hug him. ‘I swear to you, I will explain everything. It’s a very long story, but for now, all you need to know is: this is my amnesiac sister, Vanya, and this is her…’ Here, Allison hesitated. She knew her husband was progressive, but she knew it wasn’t her place to out her sister and her girlfriend. ‘Friend and her son.’

Ray’s eyes widened. He didn’t know what to say. ‘Uh, hi.’

Allison’s sister nodded in response, a small smile gracing her lips.

‘Look it’s late, and Harlan needs to sleep. Can they stay here?’ Allison asked.

Ray glanced at the strangers stood in his hallway, all looking a little worse for wear. ‘Of course.’

\---

After Allison had shown her sister and her friends to the guest room, where the three would be sleeping, Ray finally heard the full story.

The idea that his wife had powers was unfathomable, but her siblings too?

Ray thought of the quiet woman upstairs, the one Allison had spoken of with such affection in spite of not having many fond memories to share about her. Of Klaus, who had helped him get out of jail. Of Luther who had shown up at his house looking so distraught. He thought of the brothers he was yet to meet, and the one he'd never meet.

He supposed they were his family now.

If it meant he had Allison, he wouldn’t change it for the world.

(Even if that meant opening his house up to his sister-in-law who was capable of causing an apocalypse, her just-a-friend and their child who almost certainly had the same powers as Allison’s sister.)

\---

Upstairs, in the guest room, Harlan had fallen asleep as soon as he’d been tucked into bed. It had been a long night, so neither Vanya nor Sissy were surprised.

The two had sat at the foot of the bed, not yet ready to join Harlan in sleep, backs against the wooden bed-frame with shoulders and knees pressed against each others’ in silence.

Outside the window, the sun was rising in soft pinks and oranges against a paling blue. It was a new day.

Finally, Sissy broke the hush with a whisper. ‘Are we really free?’ She asked, turning to look at Vanya.

Vanya met her gaze, their faces millimetres apart. She pressed a chaste to Sissy’s lips. ’We’re free.’

\---

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so I'm sure this was shite, but any constructive criticism is welcome (though I will almost definitely cry about it)! If anything I've written is (unintentionally) offensive, please let me know (without getting mad at me, please, most social interaction terrifies me) and I will correct it.
> 
> \---
> 
> Vanya is my absolute favourite! I headcanoned her as autistic from Season 1, and now getting to see how fluently she interacts with Harlan has just proved this to me! (Also, I love Harlan and would definitely die for him!)
> 
> \---
> 
> The moment where Sissy and Carl think Vanya and Allison are dating has happened to my sister and me, at an event at my friend's house, some 50+year-old woman was giving me and my sister weird looks because we were holding hands, and I was torn between "Gross, she's my sister!" and "Ain't nothing wrong with LGBTQ+ relationships, but please don't think we're together"...
> 
> \---
> 
> My best friend, on finding out I was writing this instead of being productive: Yeeeeeeeee  
> Me: No, you're supposed to discourage me, not enable me!  
> Her: I mean that would be hypocritical of me.
> 
> And I mean, I can't argue with her on that!
> 
> \---
> 
> \- Caedyro (pronouns: They/Them)


End file.
